The Last Leaf

Prelude is a collection of the early comic strips that bring Lisa and Les together. Introduced to readers of Funky Winkerbean in late 1984 as she experiences SAT test anxiety, Lisa becomes Les Moores best friend and a pivotal character. Les and Lisa go to the prom, begin steady dating, and then break up. Over the summer, Les realizes how much he misses Lisa. When he gathers his courage and goes to her house, he is stunned to discover Lisa is pregnant with a child fathered by a jock from Walnut Tech. Lisa asks Les to be her coach in childbirth classes, and their friendship explodes from there. Prelude takes fans from the early days of their deep friendship through the birth of Lisas baby and the babys adoption. To be published simultaneously with Prelude, The Last Leaf is the sequel after Lisas death from breast cancer in Lisas Story: The Other Shoe. The Last Leaf recounts how Les and family cope with Lisas death and continue their lives. Creator Tom Batiuk brings Lisa back in Less imagination, and she helps him work out difficulties and decisions in his life and in the life of their daughter Summer. Fans will recognize Batiuks gentle mix of humor and more serious real- life themes that heighten the readers interest.